Media service providers provide a variety of media to their clients. Typically, each client receives a stream of media content at their media device. The received media stream typically comprises many different “channels” of program content. For example, a satellite-based or cable-based media provider may provide many “channels” of television programming and/or music programming to the client's media device, such as a set top box (STB) or other suitable receiver. The client then selects one of the “channels” of program content for presentation. The client's media device then parses out the selected “channel” of program content, and then presents it to the client. For example, the client may select a particular television “channel” to view a movie. The selected movie is then parsed out for the received stream of media content and presented to the client on their television (TV) and surround sound audio system.
In order to transmit the media content stream, also referred to as a transport channel, with the many different “channels” of program content, the media service provider must initially receive each of the individual “channels” of program content. The various “channels” of program content are received at one or more centralized media transmit facilities, such as a satellite uplink center (when the media service provider distributes the program content via one or more satellites to the clients).
Then, the received individual “channels” of program content are multiplexed (aggregated) into a single transport channel. The transport channel, or in some instances a plurality of transport channels, are then communicated to the client's media device. For example, the satellite-based media provider would transmit the transport channel(s) to one or more satellites. The satellites would then transmit the received transport channels down to a receiver antenna that is connected to the client's STB or other media device. As another example, the cable-based media provider would transmit its transport channel to the client's STB or other media device over a cable system.
Presentation of a selected “channel” of program content to the client is done on a real time basis, or near real time basis. For example, if a movie is scheduled to be presented at a particular time on a particular day, the client who wants to watch the movie will turn on their media device at the scheduled time and day, and then select the program channel that is presenting the movie. The client has an expectation that the movie will be presented as scheduled. Thus, it is appreciated that the task of collecting the many different “channels” of program content, aggregating the “channels” of program content into a transport channel, and then transmitting the transport channel to the client on a real time basis, or near real time basis, is a very complex task.
To facilitate collecting the many different “channels” of program content at the media transmit facility, a plurality of local receive facilities (LRF) collect and aggregate programming content received from a plurality of local programming providers located in a common geographic region. For example, a first LRF may be located in the Atlanta metropolitan area and receive programming from the local television stations and any national-based television news providers based in the Atlanta region. A second LRF may be located in the Seattle metropolitan area and receive programming from the local television stations and any national-based television news providers based in the Seattle region.
The Atlanta LRF would have communication links established to each of the local Atlanta area programming providers. As each of the local programming providers transmit their respective local program stream to the Atlanta LRF, the Atlanta LRF would multiplex (aggregate) the received local program streams into a local transport channel. Then, the Atlanta LRF would transmit the local transport channel to the centralized media transmit facility(s). The process of receiving, multiplexing, and transmitting the local Atlanta program streams is occurring on a real time basis, or near real time basis.
Similarly, the Seattle LRF would have communication links established to each of the local Seattle area programming providers. As each of the local programming providers transmit their respective local program stream to the Seattle LRF, the Seattle LRF would multiplex the received local program streams into a local transport channel. Then, the Seattle LRF would transmit the local transport channel to the centralized media transmit facility(s). The process of receiving, multiplexing, and transmitting the local Seattle program streams is also occurring on a real time basis, or near real time basis.
Conventional LRFs aggregate the received local programming streams into a local transport channel that is typically communicated to the media transmit facility over a single, high capacity communication link which has sufficient capacity to transmit a large amount of information (corresponding to the multiplexed local program streams). The use of the high capacity communication link, which is often a dedicated link, is relatively efficient and cost effective for communicating large amounts of information. However the cost of using the high capacity communication link is relatively expensive, and there is a potential risk of loss of the entire transport channel in the event of a problem on the high capacity communication link.
In many instances, the legacy local transport channels are transmitted to a plurality of different centralized media transmit facilities. For example, a satellite-based media provider may have many different satellites each located over different regions of the earth. Here, it may not be possible to communicate with all satellites from a single geographic location. Thus, the satellite-based media provider would use several different centralized media transmit facilities to provide the transport channels that are transmitted to selected satellites that are within reception range of that particular media transmit facility.
In some situations, the transport channels are constructed so as to have specific programming to accommodate the interests of clients in a particular geographic region. A transport channel with specific, geographic based programming is referred to as a geographic-specific transport channel. That is, clients living in Atlanta are likely not interested in local programming pertaining to the Seattle region that is provided by the local programming providers in Seattle. For example, if a movie is being presented by an Atlanta station at 9:00 p.m. EST, and the same movie is being presented by a Seattle station at 9:00 pm (PST), it is appreciated that the client living in Atlanta will not likely want to watch the movie as it is being presented by the Seattle station since there is a three hour time difference between Atlanta and Seattle. As another example, if the Seattle station is presenting a local Seattle news program, it is likely that the client living in Atlanta will have little or no interest in viewing the Seattle local news program.
Accordingly, the centralized media transmit facility must construct a first local transport channel from selected local program streams for the preferences of its Atlanta clients. The same, or a different, centralized media transmit facility must also construct a second local transport channel for the preferences of its Seattle clients. In view of the many different metropolitan regions across the country, and even across the world, it is appreciated that a media service provider will have to collect thousands of different locally-generated programming streams, aggregate them at many different LRFs into respective local transport channels, transmit the many local transport channels to one or more centralized media transmit facilities, parse out selected local program streams of interest, and then re-construct the selected program streams into particular geographic-specific transport channels. To further complicate matters, it is appreciated that this entire process must occur on a real time basis, or near real time basis.
As another matter, reliability of service is critical to the media service provider because when a client tries to watch a program of interest, the client expects the program to be available. The client is likely to be irritated if the program is not available due to some sort of problem on the part of the media service provider. As noted above, the local transport channel is communicated to one or more centralized media transmit facilities over a dedicated, high capacity communication channel. In some instances, the media service provider may have a back up high capacity communication channel to provide redundancy in the event that there is a failure of the primary high capacity communication channel. Providing a back up high capacity communication channel is relatively expensive, but may be absolutely necessary if client satisfaction and/or client retention is an issue for the media service provider.
Accordingly, there is a need to more efficiently and reliably collect, aggregate, and communicate the plurality of local media streams to the clients of the media service provider.